Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797

Travels in the United States of
America - Commencing in the
Year 1793, and Ending in 1797.
With The Author's Journals of
his Two Voyages Across the
Atlantic.

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Title: Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year
1793, and Ending in 1797. With The Author's Journals of his Two
Voyages Across the Atlantic.
Author: William Priest
Release Date: March 11, 2004 [EBook #11545]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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IN THE UNITED STATES ***

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[Illustration: PETER BROWN'S ARMS.]
TRAVELS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;
Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797. With The Author's
Journals of his Two Voyages Across the Atlantic
* * * * *
BY WILLIAM PRIEST, Musician, Late of the Theatres Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Boston.
* * * * *
CAPPRICCIO con----
* * * * *
LONDON: Printed for J. Johnson, No. 72, St. Paul's Church-Yard
* * * * *
1802.
Bryer, Printer, Bridewell Hospital, Bridge Street.
PREFACE.
An elegant writer observes that a preface may be dispensed with in any
work, if the author (either from his humility of justice) think that his
style be calculated only to put his readers to sleep. Though I do not
think the publication of the following sheets will materially affect the
price of opium, I cannot intrude this volume on the public without
informing them, what all my friends will vouch for the truth of, viz.--
that on my return from America, in 1797, I wrote the work in its
present form for their perusal; and, that conscious of my want of talent
as a writer, I resisted all their entreaties for its publication, till within
these three months.
The public, I presume, will not be wholly disappointed; the extracts I
have made from _Jefferson_, _Belknap_, and other american writers,
are worthy their attention: I have no other merit than having placed
them in a tolerable point of view.
"The God of Truth, and all who know me, will bear testimony that,
from my whole soul, I despise deceit, as I do all silly claims to superior
wisdom, and infallibility, which so many writers, by a thousand
artifices, endeavour to make their readers imagine they possess."

CONTENTS.

Introduction
JOURNAL--Gravesend--why so called--Deal--Falmouth--Pendennis
castle--a gale--a hymn--the gulph weed--sun set at sea--dolphins and
flying fish-- first account of the yellow fever--arrival in the
Delaware--on shore in the Jerseys--Woodbury--melancholy visit to
Philadelphia--arrival at Annapolis
ANNAPOLIS--why so called--extract from the charter--situation--loss
of the trade--accounted for--Annapolitans partial to theatrical
amusements-- produce of Maryland--tobacco--wheat--new species of
manure
JOURNEY TO THE CAPITAL--filial affection of the negroes--fried
squirrels and coffee--Baltimore--the mighty Susquana--intrepidity of a
slave--how rewarded--Wilmington--Brandywine--grist mills--the
battle--Chester-- arrival at Philadelphia
TWO ANECDOTES--a gentleman blacksmith not ashamed of his
origin--a high sheriff doing his duty
PHILADELPHIA--state of, in 1681--Penn's arrival in 1701--intended
plan of the city--not observed--situation--advantages of exports--entries
in 1793-- buildings how constructed--houses removed intire--new
theatre--pleasure carriages--removal of the state government to
Lancaster
MANNER OF LIVING OF THE
PHILADELPHIANS--breakfast--dinner--supper--bad effects of such
diet--relishes in stile at an American tea-garden
BACK SETTLER--arrives at his purchase--builds his huts--manner of
clearing the land--Indian corn--advantages of--the black and grey
squirrels-- attacked by the Indians--extract--he escapes the scalping
knife--more comfortably situated--an idle back settler--his manner of
life--what he calls liberty--joins the Indians at war with the states--the
demisavage copies only the black side of the Indian character
PENNSYLVANIA PLANTER--enjoys a happy state of mediocrity
between riches and poverty--the children how disposed of--the
boys--effect of the religious education given to the girls not intirely
eradicated even by a brothel--a country sleighing match--another in
Philadelphia in stile--a fiddler a necessary apendage
FROGS--two extracts--they sit croaking to the wonderment of
strangers-- land of enchantment--frog concert--how

supported--treble--counter tenor--
tenor--bass--fire-flies--night-hawks--probable effects on an enthusiastic
cockney
JOURNEY TO LANCASTER--the Pioli--Wayne's surprise--appointed
to the command of the western army--Indian war--shocking effects of--
misunderstanding between the Canadians and American
citizens--accounted for--French agents--the British government
vindicated--Proceed on the journey--charming prospects--beauties of
the Susquana destroys the navigation--arrival at Lancaster--rifle
manufactory--uncommon shot of two back woodsmen--Dutch
schools--three concerts--two German sans culottes-- extracts from the
regulations of the Hanover dancing assembly--German and Irish
emigrants
FEDERAL COINAGE not approved of by the people--the new scheme
contrasted with the old one--advantages of an even division by the
decimal
DELAWARE SHAD FISHERY--stupidity of the Anglo-Americans in
giving English names to animals peculiar to the new continent--length
of the siens-- greatest haul of